Process of producing ammonia and potassium-containing material from tobacco waste.



I. E. ZILK. PROCESS OF PRODUCING AMMONIA AND POTASSIUM CONTAININ G MATERIAL FROM TOBACCO WASTE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0| I911- Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

INVENTOR WITNESS dizzzm.

ATTORNEY UNITED sT TEs PATENT ornron.

JOSEPH E. ZILK, or PITTSBURGH, ENNSYLVANIA, Assrenon T0 ODORLESS FERTILIZER v MANUFACTURING coMrANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING AMMONIA AND POTASSIUM-CONTAINING MATERIAL FROMv TOBACCO WASTE.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, JosErH E. ZILK, a citizen of the United' States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Ammonia. and Potassium-Containing Material from Tobacco Waste, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for treating materials of the nature of tobacco stems and other or-' tort being provided with an outlet pipe o p .for gases and vapors produced by heating the tobacco waste. The fire box is connected with a flue 5 through which the hot gases are conveyed to a chimney or to the outer air. The pipe 3 leads the gases and vapors to a superheating coil 4, located within the said flue 5, whereby said gases and vapors may beheated to a temperature sufficient to convert a large part of the nitrogenous compounds thereof into ammonia, and whereby numerous other reactions arc induced, in the said gases and vapors.

The gases and vapors, after leaving the coil-4, pass by pipe 6- (which constitutes an 'extenslon of tl'le'pipe 3) to a suitable coil 7 located in a cooled receptacle 8,.whereby aqua ammonia (or ammonium carbonate solution) is condensed in said coil, which is separated from the remaining gases in the trap 9. The remaining gases may then pass by pipe 10, to one or more scrubbers 11, where they can be washed with suitable absorbing media for the absorption of the Specification of Letters Patent.

' residual quantity of ammonia, or any other valuable constituents, after which the gases may be delivered into the fire box by pipe 12 and their fuel value thereby utilized. The receptacles 9 and 11 will be provided with suitable draw-off cocks, as shown. The parts 10, 11 and 12 may in some'instances be omitted.

- The retort 1 will he provided with a suitable charging door 13, and the fire boX provided with suitable fuel door 1% and draft and ash opening 15, and if desired with a grate l6. -1

In the carrying out of my process I place in the retort 1, a quantity of the tobacco waste, 0. g. stems, stalks, etc., and heat the same to a temperature of about 700900 F. The gases and vapors given off are then heated, in the coil 4 tea temperature of about 400-500" F. The scrubber 11 may contain sulfuric acid. In this manner I can convert and recover in the form of ammonia, as much as 12% of waste. I

The residue in retort 1, may be used directly as fertilizer, alone or mixed with other fertilizer material, upon being leached with hot or cold water gives a solution of potassium carbonate, by evaporation yield-v ing the dry salt, in a condition suitable for use in the arts.

same to convert the major part of the nitrogenous compounds into ammonia, and leading the resulting gases toa condenser wherein the major part of the ammonia is condensed, and separating said condensate from the remaining gases.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' JOSEPH'E. ZILK.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917. I Application filed February 10, 1917. Serial N 0,148,923.

,the total nitrogen content of the tobacco 

